The receiving plan

 
Flensborg Upper Secondary School, is a three- to four-year state run school at upper secondary level, which offers tuition leading to the Icelandic University Entrance Qualification, or Stúdentspróf. Programmes available as of May 2015 are:
 
Major programmes:
  • Sociology (Félagsvísindabraut)
  • Natural Sciences (Raunvísindabraut)
  • Open U.E. Diploma (Opin námsbraut
  • Commerce (Viðskipta- og hagfræðibraut)
  • Special Education (Starfsbraut) (does not lead to IUEQ)
 
Minor programmes:
  • Sports Academy (Afrekssvið)
  • Music (Listasvið)
  • Leadership (Félagslífssvið)
  • Tech (Tæknisvið)
All major programmes, except Special Education lead to the University Entrance Qualification and therefore call for considerable breadth as to the subjects studied, with requirements in languages, humanities and sciences. The academic standard is roughly equivalent to Junior College in the US or Sixth Form College in the UK. The grading system is course-credit, 200 ECTS credits being the minimum for graduation in all programmes.
There are approximately 750 students in the school between the ages of 16 and 19. About 150 students graduate each year, a half of them in December and the other half in May. Most of the students are Icelandic, who have come up through the Icelandic compulsory school system. A minority of students are immigrants and visitors from Europe, the Americas and Asia, exchange students or Icelanders who have been brought up abroad.
The college demands a well-qualified teaching staff. Of the 60 or so teachers the majority is highly experienced but there is a generous mix of younger, more recently graduated teachers. The college prides itself on providing a wide range of courses, which entails hiring part-time teachers for more eclectic subjects. A great many of the teachers have studied abroad in a variety of countries.
Flensborgarskólinn is well-equipped and regularly updates its equipment. All the experimental sciences have their own laboratories and there is one classroom stocked with computers, and the environment is all within a wireless internet connection. The school is also equipped with portable laptops and iPads. The computer classroom is open to students outside teaching hours. The administrative department and all teachers’ work rooms are supplied with computers. Teachers and students utilize online learning systems as a part of the learning environment.
There are three student counsellors in the college, one of whom has special responsibility for the 30 or so students with special learning disabilities. There are many opportunities for extra-curricular activities. The student-run body runs a large selection of clubs and societies, for example, drama, sports and music. Students also use social media to promote events, etc.
 
The Icelandic University Entrance Qualification
 
  • The Flensborgarskóli curriculum guide is based on the national curriculum guide, published by the Ministry of Education: http://bit.ly/1NZOOIS
  • Flensborgarskólinn operates a course-credit system, one credit representing roughly three days’ work. Most courses give five credits.
  • In order to graduate, students are required to complete a minimum of 200 credits.

For all lines in the school the core requirement is made up of one or more courses in each of the following core subjects (a total of 130-150 credits):

  • Icelandic
  • Mathematics
  • English
  • Scandinavian language (Danish)
  • Life skills
  • Physical education
  • Third Foreign Language * Environmental studies
  • Biology / Geology / Chemistry / Physics
  • Sociology / History / Psychology
Students can choose between several lines of specialization within the major programmes, each of which has a core of required courses, specified or selected from various fields. A minor programme is also valid as a part of the specialization, usually 45-55 credits.
Free selection provides up to 15 credits.
Grades are generally given on a scale of 1-10. The lowest pass grade is 5. For courses that have no prerequisite, a grade of 4 is accepted as a pass without credit. The grade S indicates a pass without numerical evaluation. Each grade represents percentage of goals attained, e.g. the grade 5 indicates that 45%-54% of goals have been attained.
The first digit in the course number denotes the level of competency the course, the last digit denotes the number of credits a full pass awards.